Life Comes Full Circle
by Hawki
Summary: Oneshot: Life tends to loop around, made manifest throughout the generations of a family. And Father's Day is one moment in time that is able to demonstrate this.


Life Comes Full Circle

_Disclaimer: I don't own Golden Sun nor any of its characters._

**Youth**

Sunday rocked. That was all Kyle could think of as he lay in bed, having come home late from the smithery on Saturday night. Vale was a small town and you had to pull your weight if you wanted to keep your respect and well being. Kyle was never one to shirk from that, but that didn't stop him from enjoying his Sundays, the one day of the week where he could take it easy.

Judging by the faint amount of light streaming in through the window it would have to be around 5-6am. Kyle smiled faintly, his eyes still closed. Nothing to make him get up for a good few hours, and given that autumn was approaching and the temperatures were thus getting colder, he was in no hurry to do so.

Of course, it had seemed like that before something suddenly landed on him. Kyle stifled an exclamation of pain and /or profanity. Dora stirred in her sleep but apart from that was deaf to the world. Kyle slowly rose, wiping the sleep out of his eyes. He mentally sighed at the sight before him.

"Morning dad." Kyle's four year old son Isaac was on the bed shaking him.

"Isaac, what are you doing?" he asked sleepily. "It must be around 5 'o clock in the morning."

"Six actually," pointed out Isaac.

Kyle wondered how many years of this he would have to put up with this. Isaac had become increasingly energetic over the past few months, no doubt partly due to that boy Garet. However, at this point in time he didn't give it much thought. He was too tired to care.

"Come on dad, have you forgotten what day it is?" asked Isaac, still shaking him.

"Yes," murmured Kyle, deciding that honesty was the best approach.

"It's father's day!" exclaimed Isaac. Kyle's eyes shot open. "No, please tell me that it isn't true," he thought.

"Happy father's day!" Isaac exclaimed. Kyle heard something being put on his side table. Opening one eye, he sighed. A crudely made dish lay there, no doubt made in art class at the local school. Father's Day. He couldn't stand it. Isaac was sincere and he loved his son like any caring father would, but that didn't change the fact that he had to put up with crummy works of art and burnt breakfasts. Kyle shut his eyes. When was this going to end? Five years? Seven years? He didn't know. He may as well steel himself for burnt toast.

**Ten Years Later**

Isaac, now fourteen years old, sat by the river which ran through Vale, specifically next to the destroyed house of Jenna and her now deceased family. Of course, they weren't the only ones who'd lost their lives that day. Kyle, Isaac's father, had been among them.

Isaac knew that he was being self centred but he just couldn't help feeling miserable. His father had died, killed by the Mt. Aleph or by drowning in what had been a raging river. He felt like a failure, not quick enough to get help, somehow ending up unconscious on his way to find someone who could have saved Jenna's family and his father from drowning, thus removing any chance of them being rescued.

But no matter how hard Isaac had it, he knew that Jenna was in even a worse state. He at least still had his mother. She'd lost her entire family simultaneously in a matter of seconds. Yet she seemed to be able to take it in her stride, fiery even at the lowest point in her life. In contrast, he was silent and moping.

"Damit Isaac, I never thought I'd find you here of all places."

Isaac turned to the source of the voice and saw to both his joy and dismay that Jenna was heading over. Joy in the sense that, deep down, he enjoyed her company and, over the past few months, had started to regard her as something more than a friend. He knew what it was. Felix and Kay were always willing to pass on their knowledge to their younger companions.

Yet at this point in time, dismay was the prominent emotion. He couldn't even look Jenna in the eye anymore. He'd failed her; let her down when she needed him the most. Every time he saw her he felt a rush of guilt and self-loathing.

"Why you hanging around here? Garet was expecting us ten minutes ago," Jenna said, coming to stand by him. Isaac continued to stare into the river, looking at her reflection, revealing a puzzled visage. Either Jenna was emotionally hollow or she had the ability to carry on with life normally despite whatever hardships it may throw at her. Having known her for eleven years, Isaac suspected the later.

"Jenna, I'm sorry," he whispered, continuing to face the stream.

"Huh? What are you sorry about?" asked Jenna, still confused. Isaac couldn't help but smile bitterly. Garet was the one labelled as clueless. Perhaps a role change was in sight.

"For…failing you," said Isaac slowly.

"Isaac, if there's a point you're trying to make, I think you should get to it," said Jenna, still talking civilly.

"Damit Jenna, how can you talk to me so normally?" Isaac exploded, swiftly rising to his feet, causing Jenna to recoil due to the sudden movement and the violent outburst.

"How can you still act as if I'm a friend? I let you down! I let your family die! I'm still moping due to losing my own father while you're coping with losing with your entire family! How can I continue to act like I'm still entitled to be your friend?"

Jenna was silent for a few seconds, the only sound being that of the running water of the nearby stream. Its usually soft rippling raged in Isaac's ears as if it were a flash flood, just like on the night three years ago. The steady flow of sound was only broken by the sound of Jenna letting out a sob and throwing her arms around Isaac, catching the Venus Adept off guard.

"Er, Jenna?" he asked awkwardly.

"There's nothing to forgive," she said, tears streaming down. Isaac returned the favour of putting his arms around her neck, returning the embrace.

"The night is still giving you problems, isn't it?" he asked.

"Oh, you think?" Jenna asked bitterly. Given the severity of the sobs, Isaac realised what a stupid question it was.

"Look at me, I'm a nervous wreck," continued Jenna, the two adepts still in their embrace.

"You wouldn't be the only one," whispered Isaac, his tears joining the flow.

**Mars Lighthouse**

Watching the scene before him unfold, Isaac couldn't help but feel that the Wise One was the greatest evil on Weyard. Wanting the world to crumble away. Turning Agatio and Karst into dragons. And to top it off, forcing them to unknowingly fight his father and Jenna's parents.

Of course, in Isaac's case that wasn't unknowingly. He'd known what he'd been doing from the start. That made it all the worse. He looked at Jenna who was crying over the bodies of her parents, the second time in her life. Piers was doing an admirable job in using ply, but the battle with the Doom Dragon had exhausted all of them, and he appeared to be fighting a losing battle. Jenna was going to have to go through the pain of losing her parents again. And that hurt more than anything than the dragon could have thrown at him.

His gaze switched to the body of his father, with Mia having as much luck as Piers-very little. After Felix had told him that his father, along with his own parents were alive and well in Prox, Isaac knew that he'd reached the pinnacle of elation. They could save Weyard, travel back to Vale and finally be a family again.

However, that wasn't going to be the case, given that Kyle was simply lying there, breathing shallowly. Isaac knelt down, channelling some of his healing psyenergy, despite knowing that it was pointless. If Mia and Piers couldn't save them, how could he make a difference? Swords play was his forte. He grimaced at that thought; what had his swords play accomplished apart from taking his father's life and robbing Jenna of her parents once again?

"Isaac…is that you?" Isaac switched his attention back to his father.

"Yeah…it's me," he whispered, holding his father's hand.

Kyle smiled; "At least I can go out in good company."

"Dad, don't say that," said Isaac, the tears coming.

"We all have an expiration date, Isaac. Life comes full circle."

Isaac didn't know exactly what that meant, but he didn't care so much. All he knew was that his father was dying. And given the fact that both Piers and Mia had run out of psyenergy, there didn't seem to be anything that they could do about it.

**Reunion**

After what seemed like ages, Isaac, Kyle and Dora broke apart from their embrace. Isaac decided to let his parents have their privacy and headed over to join the group. He'd had enough time to catch up with his dad on the return trip to Vale from Prox. They should have a moment.

It felt like an eternity had passed before Isaac had withdrawn himself from the embrace, but given that the scene unfolding before him had changed little from its original conception, it was probably only for around a minute. Ivan looked as if he was on some kind of sugar high. Garet and Mia were engaged in some scatterbrained conversation. Jenna was currently trying to ruffle Felix's hair, which the Venus Adept didn't seem too keen on preventing. To top it off, Piers and Sheba were watching the unfolding scene with chuckles to boot.

The female Mars Adept was of particular note in this scene. He liked to think that he was able to keep himself emotionally stable, calm and composed, but given that Garet had blurted out Isaac's worry for Jenna in Contigo, he'd obviously failed miserably. Luckily, Jenna didn't seem to notice, hence sparing him from embarrassment.

Or was that luckily? He was pretty sure that he knew how he stood in regards to his childhood friend, but did she feel the same way? Given that she was always arguing with Garet and involved in something that could be described as hate-love, there was no guarantee.

To make matters worse, his dad had noticed the subtle attention that he was giving Jenna and had often suggested that he simply "go for it". Isaac managed to shake him off, but the threat of Kyle telling Jenna for him still rung in his mind. Pride wasn't something that Isaac showed, but he doubted whether he could stand such humiliation.

Well, his parents' embrace couldn't last forever. He took a deep breath and walked towards the group. Rejection or elation awaited him. He was prepared to receive either.

**Death: Third Time Lucky**

Kyle was dying. Isaac knew it and accepted that he couldn't do anything about it. Of course, looking down at the hollow, rasping form of his father, that didn't make things any easier.

It was eerie really, how his happiness in life seemed to move in constant flux. Four years ago, when he and his companions had returned to Vale, he'd found that the feelings that he'd harboured for Jenna were mutual in every way. Two years since they'd tied the knot. Six months since a child had been confirmed.

A steady transition of increasing joy and bliss, some may say. But that would be ignoring the steady stream of losses that seemed to have plagued them. First and foremost was Dora's death one year ago. When Isaac and co. had temporarily returned to Vale after saving Master Hammet, she looked like she was on death's doorstep. It took all of Isaac's willpower to resume his journey.

Upon returning to Vale after returning alchemy and thus saving Weyard, Isaac had been relieved to find that his mother was healthy in both body and mind. However, over time she began to become weaker, more lethargic. Even the Great Elder was at a loss as to what it was but it was clear that it was physical as much as spiritual. It was probably hereditary, an inherent disease. She'd passed away about a year ago.

Felix had withdrawn himself even further from their group, devoting himself to scholarly pursuits. The effects of alchemy's return had yet to be fully determined. Piers had set off in his ship, still eager to explore every section of the world. They hadn't seen him in years and, given how dreary New Vale was, Isaac doubted that he'd return anytime soon.

Ivan and Sheba had returned to Kalay and Contigo respectively. Ivan still felt bound to serve Master Hammet and Sheba was interested in searching for the secrets of her origins. The last that Isaac had heard she hadn't been having much luck. Letters used to have been exchanged with the two Jupiter Adepts, but the amount had steadily decreased. They were all living their own lives.

Mia had returned to Imil, despite her role there being redundant given that not only was the Water of Hermes in abundance, but since alchemy had been released, the people had become more resistant to whatever type of flu that came around each winter. Contact was rarely made. Perhaps Mia was reluctant to maintain friendships after what Alex had done.

Garet was less of a clown than he used to be. His grandparents had passed away and Kay had moved to Tolbi, perhaps preferring the city life in contrast to what New Vale had to offer. Aaron was growing up fast, idolising his older brother less and less and making his own friends. It was clear that Garet was missing all their company.

Overall, their group had splintered, become less tight knit. And here Isaac was, witnessing a further fragmentation as his father lay on the bed, his hours ticking away. It was theorised that the lighting of the beacon of Mars Lighthouse had only rejuvenated his spirit temporarily. Time had been brought, nothing more.

Jenna was currently resting downstairs, as Isaac had urged her not to overstretch herself. If her parents were going to suffer the same fate as Kyle…Isaac didn't know if he could bear it. Why was death such a constant in the world? Why need the cycle of living and dying exist at all? What was the point of everything?

"Isaac…are you there?" asked Kyle, his voice raspy. It was as if he were sixty years older than he looked.

"Yeah… I always have been," said Isaac, clutching his hand.

Kyle let out a bitter laugh; "I guess death got lucky the third time."

"Dad, don't talk like that," said Isaac firmly, hoping beyond hope that death wasn't inevitable.

"I survived the storm. Mars Lighthouse revived me. I guess I must have pissed the reaper off." Kyle chuckled bitterly.

Under normal circumstances, Isaac might have been embarrassed to have tears rolling down his face, especially at the current age of twenty-one. It had been bad enough when Dora died. Now he was losing his father for the third time.

Kyle seemed to notice; "Don't mourn overmuch Isaac. Death is as much a constant as life is. One can't exist without the other."

"Dad, this is no time to be pessimistic, ok?" said Isaac softly, still holding on to that small ray of hope.

Kyle's breathing was even more shallow now, his voice barely audible; "Life has come full circle, Isaac. The rotation shall begin again with you. That is the course of the world. Progressive, yet in cycle.

Isaac couldn't speak as he saw the last ebb of life leaving his father. One last sentence escaped Kyle before he took his final breath;

"The circle is complete."

**Full Circle**

Isaac lay in bed next to Jenna, reminding himself of the fact that he had the day off from the smithery that he and Garet had set up. Usually they worked shifts together, but occasionally they took breaks. Isaac glanced out the window. Given the dim rays of the sun that came through the window, it was probably only 5am.

Such blissful thoughts were interrupted as something landed on him. Jenna mumbled something but remained deaf to the world. He tried to copy that state, but whatever had landed on Isaac was now shaking him vigorously. Sighing, he rose, wiping the sleep from his eyes.

"Bought time you woke up daddy. Remember what day it is?"

Isaac's vision had cleared enough to see that his four year old daughter, Lina was sitting at the end of the bed. In most respects she took after her mother, but had her father's golden hair and blue eyes.

"Er, no," yawned Isaac. "You'll have to remind me."

"It's father's day, silly!" Lina exclaimed, giving him a bouquet of flowers that she must have picked herself, given the amount of dirt that was around them. Lina gave Isaac a quick hug. "Stay here, I'll be bringing in breakfast."

Isaac smiled as he experienced the sense of déjà vu, how he'd given his father the same treatment. He remembered what he had said before his death, and Isaac realised that his prediction was correct.

Life had come full circle.

**XXX**

_Pretty random and dismal, I know. Oh well. I felt like doing a one-shot for father's day, decided upon Golden Sun and this popped into my mind._

_As a sidenote, this doesn't tie in with my main Golden Sun serries in any way. It's completely separate._


End file.
